What does an airline pilot do?

Updated January 8, 2025

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Airline pilot responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real airline pilot resumes:

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.

Airline pilot skills and personality traits

We calculated that 35% of Airline Pilots are proficient in Aircraft Systems, FAA, and PIC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Problem-solving skills, and Quick reaction time.

We break down the percentage of Airline Pilots that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Aircraft Systems, 35%
Received extensive training in complex Avionics / Aircraft Systems / components.
FAA, 13%
Captain of Boeing 737 Aircraft flying FAA Part 121 scheduled passenger flights from Midway Airport to other cities in the U.S.A.
PIC, 12%
Acted at Pilot in Command (Pic) flying Pa31-350 on scenic tours and charters throughout the southwest.
Flight Operations, 10%
Liaised with Flight Operations to make arrangements for departure as well as stay informed of any delays.
Federal Aviation, 8%
Operated flights in accordance with company and Federal Aviation Regulations Calculated weight and balance to ensure safe aircraft operating envelope
Pilot-In-Command, 6%
Earned pilot-in-command status as most junior aviator assigned to unit.

Most airline pilots use their skills in "aircraft systems," "faa," and "pic" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential airline pilot responsibilities here:

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an airline pilot to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what airline pilots do because "pilots must speak clearly when conveying information to air traffic controllers and other crew members." Additionally, an airline pilot resume shows how airline pilots use communication skills: "perform exceptional levels of customer service to my passengers to ensure satisfaction and a calm atmosphere through constant communication. "

Problem-solving skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling airline pilot duties is problem-solving skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "pilots must be able to identify complex problems and figure out appropriate solutions." According to an airline pilot resume, here's how airline pilots can utilize problem-solving skills in their job responsibilities: "resolved regulatory compliance issues between company personnel, faa inspectors and operational authorities thru negotiation and problem solving skills. "

Quick reaction time. This is an important skill for airline pilots to perform their duties. For an example of how airline pilot responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "pilots must respond quickly, and with good judgment, to any impending danger." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an airline pilot: "maintain the on-time performance as well as the safety of the flight will allow. ".

See the full list of airline pilot skills

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Compare different airline pilots

Airline pilot vs. Flight commander

A Flight Commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. The position is traditionally held by a captain, naval lieutenant, or air force flight lieutenant.

We looked at the average airline pilot salary and compared it with the wages of a flight commander. Generally speaking, flight commanders are paid $14,862 lower than airline pilots per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both airline pilot and flight commander positions are skilled in faa, flight operations, and air traffic control.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an airline pilot are more likely to require skills like "aircraft systems," "pic," "federal aviation," and "tsa." On the other hand, a job as a flight commander requires skills like "combat," "logistics support," "usaf," and "afb." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Flight commanders tend to reach similar levels of education than airline pilots. In fact, flight commanders are 4.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Airline pilot vs. Flight engineer manager

A Flight Engineer monitors and controls various aircraft systems, such as airplanes and helicopters. They ensure that all components of the plane are in proper working order, as well as diagnose and rectify problems that may arise.

Flight engineer manager positions earn lower pay than airline pilot roles. They earn a $3,247 lower salary than airline pilots per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Airline pilots and flight engineer managers both require similar skills like "flight operations," "air traffic control," and "flight training" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real airline pilot resumes. While airline pilot responsibilities can utilize skills like "aircraft systems," "faa," "pic," and "federal aviation," flight engineer managers use skills like "dod," "security procedures," "cfr," and "control systems."

Flight engineer managers earn similar levels of education than airline pilots in general. They're 4.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Airline pilot vs. Flight engineer

An average flight engineer eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of airline pilots. The difference in salaries amounts to flight engineers earning a $499 lower average salary than airline pilots.Using the responsibilities included on airline pilots and flight engineers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "faa," "flight operations," and "flight training.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from airline pilot resumes include skills like "aircraft systems," "pic," "federal aviation," and "tsa," whereas a flight engineer is more likely to list skills in "simulator," "dod," "combat," and "technical problems. "

Flight engineers earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $85,663. Airline pilots earn the highest pay from the transportation industry, with an average salary of $88,344.Most flight engineers achieve a lower degree level compared to airline pilots. For example, they're 8.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Airline pilot vs. Flight superintendent

Flight superintendents tend to earn a lower pay than airline pilots by an average of $10,223 per year.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. An airline pilot uses "aircraft systems," "faa," "pic," and "federal aviation." Flight superintendents are more likely to have duties that require skills in "logistics," "training programs," "combat," and "usaf. "In general, flight superintendents hold lower degree levels compared to airline pilots. Flight superintendents are 9.0% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of airline pilot

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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